How To Clean Your Blinds

Your window blinds are very prone to collecting dust and dirt. Yet, it’s often the case that despite this they are some of the more under-targeted areas when cleaning. By the time you get round to giving them a clean, you’ll find layers of dust waiting for you. Fret not though, as there are easy ways to have them looking brand new again.

Venetian Blinds

For Venetian blinds or other plastic blinds, cleaning these should prove to be a pain-free task. The first port of call should be the trusty duster. This could take the form of a feather duster, a dedicated cloth for dusting or even an old sock, for they’ll all get the job done. Open up the blinds and begin by working your way from the top downwards, wiping along the louvres. A better choice yet, search out the vacuum cleaner and use the brush attachment to do the cleaning.

For wooden blinds, it is recommended that you do not use hot water to wash them. Dusting should be the main method to keep them clean, but lemon oil can be used for treating any stains you find.
With the dust gone, now you can move on to the real washing phase. A small amount of liquid soap in a bucket filled with warm water is all you need for this, along with a little elbow grease. Put a cleaning cloth in the soapy water and ring it out until it’s not dripping; you don’t want soapy puddles all over your floor to clean up after. Again, start at the top of the blind and work your way down. At intervals, make sure to stop and re-rinse your cloth as you go; an opportunity to surprise yourself at how dirty the cloth actually is! Once they’ve been rinsed and cleaned, go over the blinds with a fresh cloth to dry them up. Now the blinds should be easier to maintain with a light dusting or vacuuming from time to time!

Fabric Blinds

If you have fabric blinds, such as Roman or Roller blinds, then the cleaning process can be a little different to the previously mentioned steps. As with a lot of things, prevention is better than the cure. In terms of your fabric blinds, regular dusting can prevent dirt gathering and the colour altering. To give these vertical blinds a proper cleaning, it may be beneficial to completely remove them in order to carry out the wash. Like before, lay the blinds out and use a vacuum cleaner with brush attachment to get the initial layer of easy dirt and dust off. After that, a sponge with warm, soapy water will be your tool again. However, you need to make sure that it won’t damage the material of the blind.

Test out your soapy solution on a tiny area of the blinds to ensure that there won’t be any damage; better to ruin a tiny section that you won’t see rather than the entire thing! For serious stains, wipe away at them thoroughly with the sponge until they’re gone. It’s important to allow your blinds to dry well before they go back up; leave them to dry in the air to get the last drops of moisture out that a towel dry couldn’t get. If in doubt, or if it seems like too much of a task, take them to the dry-cleaners!

Gemini Blinds

Gemini Blinds are one of the leading providers of blinds, canopies, awnings and shutters in the North West.